Improvement in horse-clipper and sheep-shearer



W. NOYES. HQISB-OliPP er and Sheep-Shearer.

" No. 216,882. v Pate-ntedlune 24, 1879.;

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UNITED STATES. PATENT 'UFFICE.

ERNEST W. NOYES, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-CLIPPER ANDSHEEP-SHEARER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,882, dated June 24,1879; application filed March 5, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST WILLIAM NOYES, of Bay City, in the county ofBay and State of Michigan, have invented a new and ImprovedHorse-Clipper and Sheep-Shearer, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for clipping horsesand shearing sheep, to be operated by steam or compressed air;

also to arrange the several parts so that the Similar letters ofreference indicate corre-' sponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the base-plate of the implement,to one end whereof is attached a ferrule, e, in which the handle F issocketed, while the opposite end is bent down so as to be below thelevel of the main part of the plate, and formed into a comb, B.

A is the knife-blade, with short toothed or serrated blades over theteeth of the comb. This knife is attached to the comb by studs aprojeetingup from the comb-plate through slots f in the blade. Thesestuds are threaded, and washers are placed over them to rest on theblade, and then nuts are screwed down, and then these are prevented fromcoming 011' by small screws entered into the studs from the top.

The slots permit the knife-blade to reciprocate over the comb in thedirection of its length or sidewise, so that the serrated knives passback and forth over the teeth of the comb, and thus the hair and woolprojecting through the comb-teeth are sheared ofi by the action of theknife-blades against the edges of the teeth.

To decrease the friction between the blade and comb, the former ishollowground on its under side, as shown at a, thus decreasing itsbearing-surface.

From the center of the knife-blade, at its back edge, rises at rightangles a yoke, D, and in this yoke is a cross-head, b, through whichpasses the crank-pin b, projecting from the face of wheel I) on shaft b,journaled in the pillow-block B, rising from base-plate A.

Shaft b is fixed to the axis of one of the pistons of the double-pistonrotary engine 0, of which (3 are the cylinders, attached to thebase-plate A midway between the pillow-block B and handle F. By means ofthis rotary engine the shaft 6 is turned, and the crank wheel 12,engaging the cross-head I), sliding up and down in yoke D, converts therotary motion of the engine into the reciprocating motion of the knifeA.

E is the steam-pipe, passed through the handle from the rear, thenceinto a cavity in the lower part of the cylinder 0, from whence portsopen up into the cylinder. Between the cylinder and handle thesteam-pipe is supplied with a valve, 0, the outer end whereof is pivotedto the end of lever d, which is fulcrumed at d on the handle, andextends back far enough to be easily operated by the hand grasping thehandle F. A spring, at, keeps this valve closed; but by pressing on, theend of the lever next the handle the valve is partially or entirelyopened, as may be desired, and thus the speed of the knife may beregulated at the same time and by the same hand that manipulates theimplement.

G represents the exhaust-pipe, extending from the cavity g,in the upperpart of the cyl inder between the two pistons, and is then carried backthrough handle F, and projects from the rear end of the same.

The end of the supply-pipe E projecting from the handle is connected bymeans of a flexible tube with the boiler or compressed-air reservoir,and the steam or air passes through the same, when valve cis open, tothe rotary engine, and from there it passes through ports into thecavity g, thence into pipe G, and is exhausted at the end of the handle,thus avoiding contact with the animal or with the person of theoperator.

The handle F is preferably made of wood,

' Patent-- 1. The rotary engine 0, operated by steam or air, incombination with the reciprocating knife A, with which it is connectedby a crank on the piston shaft engaging a sliding cross-head confined ina yoke rising from the knife, whereby a reciprocating motion iscommunicated to the said knife, substantially as described.

2. The yoke D, connected to the reciprocating knife A, in combinationwith the crosshead I), sliding therein, crank b on the rotary engineshaft engaging said cross head, and the rotary engine 0, substantiallyas described.

3. The steam-pipe E, carried through the handle F to the rotary engine0, in combination with the engine and handle, substantially asdescribed.

4. The valve 0 in steam-pipe E, pivoted to spring-lever d, fulcrumedon'handle F, Whereby the hand of the operator holding and guiding theimplement is enabled at the same time to regulate the supply of steamand the speed of the knife, substantially as described.

5. The exhaust-pipe G, leading from the cylinder of the engine backthrough the handle F,so as to deliver theexhaust-steam at the end of thehandle, to avoid contact with the horse, substantially as described.

6. The handle F, made of wood, in combination with the engine, knife,and pipes E and G, passed through the said handle, whereby the handholding the implement is protected from the heat of the steam passingthrough the said pipes to and from the engines, substantially asdescribed.

ERNEST WILLIAM NOYES- Witnesses:

H. M. GILLETT, JOHN E. SIMONsON.

